Improved ditching-machine



MPETERS, PHOYOLITHOGHAPMER, wASHmGYoN, o, C.

danni 5in-nts vEls'.

sind l etnias.

JAMES W. MCGEHEE, 0F FAYETTEVILLE, TEXAS.

Letters Patent No. 96,824, lated November 16, 1869.

IMPRO'EID DITCHING--MACI-IINE.

The Scheule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part oflthesame.

rlhis invention relates to' improvements in ditchingmachines, whereby itis designed to provide an eiicient arrangement of steam-powerditching-apparatus.

The invention consists essentially of a boring or ditching-auger,suspended iom the frame of a truck, and having an enlarged headprojecting in advance of the truck, and rotated, so as to bore out agroove as the truck is moved along, screwing the earth taken backthrough ai trough, to an elevator, whichv carries it up to a' spout,chuting it t0 one'side.

Another arrangement of the boring-tool and elev-ai ting-apparatusdispenses with the trough, the said elevating-apparatus being arrangedimmediately behind the boring-head.

Steam-power is placed upon the truck, for propelling it and theditching-apparatus.

Figui-el represents an elevation of my improved machine, partly inlongitmlinal section Figure 2 represents a transverse sect-ion;

Figure 3 represents a section of a part of the trou/gh, showing asection of the auger, and the bottom of the elevating-apparatus Figure 4represents a transverse section, showing the bottom oftheelevati11g-apparatus;

Figure 5 represents a side view of a boring-instrument;

Figure (i represents an end view of thc same;

Figure 7 a side and sectional view of another boring-instrument; and

Figure 8, an end of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding paris.

From a strong frame, A, mounted on wheels B C, I suspend, in a trough,D, rotary boring-instruments E, with boring-heads larger than thetroughs, and projecting beyond the same.

rlhe said troughs are detachably connected to the iiame, to 'permit ofreadily detaching the boring-instrument and trough when the machine isto be transported from place to place, said detachment being necessarybecause the apparatus must be suspended as much below the bottom of the'truck-wheels kas the required depth ofthe ditch.

F is a pivoted`handlever connected with the front-4 pivoted axle y ofthe wheels B, by means of a link, c,

which constitutes the means of turning said axle so as to guide themachine in passing over the ground.

To commence work, a grooveis first dug by hand, the machine placed overit,and the boring-apparatus attached.

The shaft I of the auger is provided with bearings G G, supported by thetrough, and projects rearward to an end bearing-spimllc, II, suitablysuspended from V the frame. v

The said shaft or its bearing supports a chain-wheel, K, at the rear-ofthe trough, and working loosely thereon,

- Motion is imparted to the boring-instrument by bevel-wheels L,receiving motion from the drivingcrankl shaft M.

lh'is shaft carries loose chain-wheels N, which clutch with fixedclutching-disks O, when required, and thereby imparts propellingmotionto the truck-wheels C, by belts or chains P.

The wheels are moved to andfrom the clutch-disks by an oscillatingshaft, Q, working in ,sleeves R, having spiral grooves-T, in which pinson the shaft work, to move the said sleeves longitudinally on the shaft.

These sleeves carry crotch-arms S, which engage the hubs of thechain-wheels N, and move them as required.

A handle, U, is applied to the shaft, for working it.

Anoverhead-shaft, V,4 is provided for driving the elevator \V, and isdrivenby an upright shaft, X, deriving motion from the main shaft belowrlhis elevator-chain W carries cups Y,- passing around the auger-shaft,in rear of the 'varies thereof, and moving in opposite directionsthereto, taking the earth from the'said vancs, and delivering it to thespout-Z. n

Spring-plates a are attached to the rear of the vanes of the auger, topress the earth into the cups.

As the angers may encounterlargc stones, or other obstructions in so'mcsoils, I have provided acranel,A, with grapples B', on a cord, C',working through a pulley thereon, and over the driving-sl1att\l\f, sothat by throwing the driving-wheels out of gear, the said obstructionsmay be raised' by the grapples, and swung out of the way.

A chain, D', is employed to hold the crane against the action of therope Gl while aising the said obstructions.

The rear wheels of the truck are fixed to a rotating shaft, but thefront wheels work loosely on the axle, which is capable of turning, forguiding the machine, and a hand-lever, E', is provided for turning it.

For angers of small size, I propose t'o apply two scoops ll", to formthe cutting-head, as shown, tig. (i, but for larger ones I may use four,as shown in fig. S.

Instead of using long auger-vanos and a trough, as

shown in fig. 1, I may dispense with them, and place the chain-drum orwheel K and elevator immediately behind the auger-head, as is partlyshown in fig. 7, where I have represented the said chain-wheel on asleeve Working on the auger-shaft.

The said sleeve is grooved to be supported in a snspending bearing. Whenthe auger is used without the trough, suitable bearings are provided forit.

When the ditching is accomplished, and the machine to be moved away, thetrough and angers are detached by unbolting the suspending brackets l.They are then slung from the crane by the rope C and grapples.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1 The combination, with a truck-frame, of a ditch- 5. Snspending thetrough and auger by detachable connections, substantially as specified.

Witnesses: JAS. W. MCGEHEE.

J. D. MEYER, W. H. DONATHAN.

oups, ofthe spring-plates a, substantially as specified..

